Agave attenuata in the gardens of the Mission. This is one of the "safest" agaves to plant, as the leaves are much less rigid than those of other agaves...meaning the injury factor is reduced.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Trail to the Sun
Waiting for sunset on Poly Mountain in San Luis Obispo, California. The other shots I took were marred by pesky dust particles...time to clean the sensor.
The hills appear to be brown in the photo, but close examination of the earth along the trail revealed thousands of tiny seedlings coming up due to the 7.5 inches of rain we received the other day.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Hibiscus Up Close
Here's the stamen of a hibiscus flower at Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. The colors on these flowers are incredible...gold pollen against a rich pink stamen and rosy white petals.
Anyone have experience with tropical hibiscus plants?
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Creepin'
Saturday night I was hiking up Poly Mountain and a large, slow-moving creature next to the trail caught my eye. Upon looking closer I saw that it was a tarantula.
This is the time of the year when the tarantulas are out and about in the hills. Some places, like Mt. Diablo in the Bay Area, are famous for the large numbers of the arachnids that creep through the dry grasses in search of mates...and prey.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
SLO Farmers' Market
McClintock's Barbecue serves up succulent tri-tip sandwiches to a long line of hungry customers at the popular San Luis Obispo Farmers' Market.
Every Thursday, 3 blocks of Higuera Street close down and are converted into this farmers' market-street fair. It's worth a visit if you're in SLO!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Farmers' Market Harvest
San Luis Obispo is home to one of the most famous farmers' markets in California.
Earlier tonight I found out why.
The market definitely lives up to its reputation. There are a decent number of produce vendors along with many food stands, barbecue joints, kettle corn sellers, and candy makers. If that's not enough there street performers, clubs and organizations, and live music.
If you're ever in SLO on a Thursday night, try to stop by the farmers' market - it's a great experience.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
A Creek Flows Again...
In California, October is usually a dry month with little in the way of rain.
That was not the case with this October.
Yesterday a powerful storm came through the area and dumped 4-7 inches of rain, bringing the creeks back to life. Mining Ridge in Monterey County was drenched with an incredible 21 inches of rain in 24 hours!
This is Brizzolara Creek in the rugged Poly Canyon near San Luis Obispo. Two days ago there was no water at this spot - as you can see that is no longer the case!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
First Storm of the Season
The photos here show colorful poison oak leaves in Poly Canyon and the now-flowing Brizzolara Creek.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Bishop Peak
Today my friend and I climbed Bishop Peak, a rugged volcanic mountain that dominates much of the view from San Luis Obispo. The peak rises more than 1,300 feet above the surrounding town and offers impressive views of the region.
Here's a picture taken from a precipice near the summit. The mountain in the distance is Cerro San Luis, and you can see SLO at its base.
Wildlife was abundant on the peak - at least six vultures were resting on summit boulders, and of course lizards were everywhere. There were also plenty of places that mountain lions could call home...
Friday, October 09, 2009
The End of Summer
Remnants of a typhoon from Japan are being pulled across the Pacific Ocean and are forecast to hit California early to mid-next week. Right now the ground is extremely dry, as this state hasn't seen significant rain in five months.
That's about to change.
The National Weather Service is saying that this potentially record-breaking storm is going to dump up to 8-10 inches of rain in places. El Nino was predicted for this year, and it looks like that's what we're gonna get!
Any exciting weather in your part of the world?
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Mission Hibiscus
Autumn may officially be here, but the hibiscus plants in central California don't know that. These hibiscus flowers were outside of the old mission in San Luis Obispo. Over by the veterans hall there are hibiscus bushes about 10 feet wide and at least five feet tall...giant.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
San Luis Obispo at Night
Here's a view of the Cal Poly campus and San Luis Obispo at night (well, during the last minutes of twilight). The view was stunning from the top of Caballo Peak, which borders Cal Poly-owned land.
If you've never visited San Luis Obispo, I highly recommend you do so. SLO is great, with an excellent downtown and cool shops and restaurants. Also, the town is surrounded by statuesque mountains and the ocean is only 15 minutes away.
Monday, October 05, 2009
Clouds Over Canyon
About 45 minutes after sunset the clouds parted a bit, allowing crepuscular sun rays to penetrate. It was a beautiful morning in San Luis Obispo, but a cold and windy one!
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Poly Mountain Sunrise
I woke up at 5:50 this morning to go on a sunrise hike. It was definitely a great sunrise - clouds rolled in which captured the light of Sun. With the clouds came wind, and with the wind came cold. It's starting to feel like fall here in San Luis Obispo - what about in your area?